Morphology effect on electrochemical properties of doped (W and Mo) 622NMC, 111NMC, and 226NMC cathode materials

An investigation was carried out on layered Li(NixMnyCo1−x−y)O2 (NMC) cathode active materials for Li-ion batteries to determine the effect of morphology on their electrochemical performances. The NMC active materials were doped with Mo or W (2 wt%) in the study. Doped NMC cathodes with a ratio of 111, 622 and 226 (NiMnCo) were synthesized by spray pyrolysis which yielded aggregates were submicron size. A systematic investigation was performed, and two distinct morphology types were identified in active materials as a result. The first type was the aggregates which are densely packed composed of relatively smaller primary particles. The second type was the aggregates those packed loosely with larger primary particles. Our findings showed that the later morphology resulted in higher discharge capacity with lower internal resistance and, a shorter diffusion distance. Thus, the present study provides insights into the importance of morphology on electrochemical properties of layered cathode active materials. •Two different types of morphology were observed in NMC cathode active materials.•NiMnCo ratio, i.e. 111, 622 and 226 formed their own characteristic morphology.•The morphology in each individual group was not affected with the doping elements.•The morphology of particles has an influence on the electrochemical performance.